PORTLAND, Maine — Former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah says his experience running large organizations and helping lead the state through the coronavirus crisis qualifies him to be the next governor of Maine.

Shah, 48, held the first town hall of his campaign for governor on Sunday in Portland, speaking to and taking questions from a crowd of 100 people from the One Longfellow Square concert stage.

This is his first run for elective office. After leading Maine’s health care response to the pandemic, Shah served three years during the Biden administration as the No. 2 official in the national CDC, which employs 27,000 people and has a $14 billion annual budget — larger than Maine’s state workforce and biennial budget.

Shah said, “The job is fun

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